Some concerts are about the music but this past Saturday night in Park City, Utah, The Calling’s concert at the historic Egyptian Theatre was just as much about the stories behind the music as it was the performance itself.    

 

The intimate setting of the Egyptian Theatre provided the perfect backdrop for a band whose music has connected with listeners for more than two decades.  Unlike arenas and large concert halls where the artist can sometimes feel miles away, the historic theater brought the audience closer to the musicians and the stories behind the music. 

 

For the second night of their Park City shows, The Calling delivered a set that blended new material along with fan favorites that defined their career.  The show highlighted where the band had come from while showcasing where they are today as well.

 

While longtime favorites brought a sense of nostalgia the newer songs found their own connection with the audience proving that fans are still interested in what The Calling have to say today. 

 

Throughout the performance, frontman Alex Band took time to speak between directly to the audience between the songs.  Throughout the night he shared the stories behind the music.  Whether discussing the inspiration for a particular song, the experience of writing it, or the journey of getting them on the albums and the albums themselves, Band offered fans a glimpse into the moments that shaped The Callings music.

 

Band reflected on the band’s early days, signing with a record label, navigating the industry and leaving a label and ultimately finding his way today as an independent artist.  His stories offered a look at the highs, lows and the unexpected turns that have come with spending his life in music.  In one of the more personal moments of the show Band opened up about his diagnosis with Parkinsons and the effects it’s had on the band and himself.  It was a reminder that behind the familiar voice and songs, there are real people dealing with challenges that don’t disappear once the stage lights come on.

 

The openness of those conversations gave the concert a different feeling.  Rather than simply going on, song after song, Band gave the audience a chance to understand the experiences that happened along the way bringing his music to life.  Perhaps that’s what made the Egyptian such a perfect venue for the show.  In a venue where the distance is measured in feet and not hundreds of yards, the personal stories carried just as much weight as the songs. 

 

Of course, no discussion about The Callings legacy or concert would be complete without mentioning their breakout hit “Wherever You Will Go.”  Throughout the evening Band kept promising the audience the one song they knew was coming.  The one song that was named song of the decade by Billboard for the number 1 Adult Pop Song of the 2000’s.  At the end of the night, he told everyone here is the song you’ve been waiting for and the audience sang along to every word.  The song capped an evening taking us all down memory lane with The Calling and looking at where they are going and capped it off with a song that means so much to so many people a song that’s the kind of success most artists can only dream of.

 

For those fans inside the Egyptian Theatre, it wasn’t just a night of familiar songs.  It was a chance to hear the stories behind them and reconnect with the music and artists and witness the next chapter in their journey.